After a weekend stay at the Grand Traverse Resort, I had a bit of time to kill before our member pickup party at MAWBY on the west side. As I don't often get to the East Bay on account of some part of the trip seemingly always under construction (when will that money run out? Sooner rather than later I hope), a brief walk in the exotic locale between Acme and Elk Rapids, Maple Bay, was in order.
It's not a long trail, the main loop a touch under a mile, but it feels bigger. Tall, dense stands of red pines await sooner after the trail descends from the parking lot. Taking a right at the first trail intersection, it has a feel of being much farther away from civilization though US 31 is less than half mile away.
The money view is not far. In the summer, this area would be crowded with beachgoers and the shore would be lined with boaters who insist that their music is the best and you just HAVE to hear it. But on an early spring morning, wind, water and woods were the only things around.
Though I love summer, the best time of year in Northern Michigan, these quieter times are something to experience while you can. And that time dwindles quickly now. Get out there.